1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a connector of the type in which a terminal is prevented from being inserted in a wrong manner into a terminal receiving chamber in a connector housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional connector, male or female terminals are received and retained respectively in terminal receiving chambers in a connector housing, and for example, Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. Sho. 52-120394 discloses a connector in which a plurality of terminals are received in a connector housing. The connector, disclosed in this publication, is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.
A metal terminal 60, shown in FIG. 6, is formed into an integral construction, using a metal sheet, and has an electrical contact portion 61 of a substantially cylindrical shape at a front end portion thereof, a wire connection portion 64 at a rear end portion thereof, engagement piece portions 62 and 62, and resilient engagement piece portions 63 and 63, the portions 62 and the portions 63 being provided at an intermediate portion thereof.
When the metal terminal 60 is inserted into a terminal receiving chamber 71 in a connector housing 70, the engagement piece portions 62 and 62, together with the resilient engagement portions 63 and 63, prevent lateral movement and turn of the metal terminal 60. The resilient engagement piece portions 63 and 63 serve to limit the position of insertion of the metal terminal 60 into the terminal receiving chamber 71, and prevent the metal terminal 60 from being inserted in a wrong manner into the terminal receiving chamber 71.
The connector housing 70, shown in FIG. 7, is integrally molded of a synthetic resin, and includes a plurality of terminal receiving chambers 71 for respectively receiving the metal terminals 60, a support groove 72, which is formed in an upper wall of each of the terminal receiving chambers 71, and extends in a direction of insertion of the metal terminal 60, and terminal retaining lances 73 for respectively retaining the metal terminals 60 to prevent the same from withdrawal.
The support groove 72 receives the resilient engagement piece portions 63 and 63, and guide the same in the direction of insertion of the metal terminal 60. The provision of this support groove 72 prevents a wrong insertion of the metal terminal 60. Namely, when the metal terminal 60 is inserted in a wrong manner, the resilient engagement piece portions 63 and 63 are brought into abutment against a bottom wall of the terminal receiving chamber 71, thereby preventing the insertion of the metal terminal.
Incidentally, in the production of a wire harness, the metal terminals 60 are beforehand secured respectively to wires, and the plurality of wires each having the metal terminal secured thereto are stocked, and when assembling the wire harness, a required number of wires each with the metal terminal are taken out, and are attached to the connector housing 70.
However, in the conventional metal terminal 60, the engagement piece portions 62 and 62 and the resilient engagement piece portions 63 and 63 are projected, and therefore when a plurality of wires each with the metal terminal are stocked, these wires are entangled with each other through the engagement piece portions 62 and the resilient engagement piece portions 63, which results in a problem that covering or sheaths of the wires are damaged.